You Salmon, Me Hoisin

This is a great alternative to the standard teriyaki salmon. In fact, nowadays, I hardly ever cook teriyaki salmon. Much prefer this version – tasty and extremely easy to cook.

This can be done several ways… Usually, I would dice the salmon and marinade it generously with hoisin sauce, for at least 20-30 minutes. Then, it is simply a matter of sautéing minced garlic and shallots in hot oil (very little oil, as the salmon is a rather “fatty” fish, and its natural oils will be “excreted”… sorry I really can’t think of a more elegant word at the moment… as it is cooked), until softened and browned, before adding the salmon. I always undercook salmon. I just think they taste really horrible when overdone. For diced salmon, I think about 4-7 minutes would be sufficient. If I was using the salmon in fried rice (see previous post), I would probably sauté them for 3-5 minutes only, as they will be cooked further with the rice.

I like this diced salmon version. It can be served as is, and eaten with steamed rice. Or it can be used in fried rice. Or as a sandwich filling. Or to top noodles or pasta…

Sometimes I use salmon steaks or fillets with the same marinade. (I sauté the garlic and shallots and add it to the hoisin sauce to form the marinade). And grill or pan-roast the salmon for about 4-7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks or fillets. It works well too on the BBQ… wrapping the marinated salmon in banana leaves or even lotus leaves.

You salmon, me hoisin… a perfect match, I think.

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